Land Rover planning at least four new Discovery models

It should come as no great surprise that Land Rover is planning to group its lineup into three "families": one luxury lineup centered around the Range Rover, another utilitarian range around the Defender and a third somewhere in the middle centered around the Discovery. But just how many models will form each of those groups?

Reports emanating from the UK seek to answer that question, and get us at least part way there – as far as the Discovery family is concerned, anyway. Previewed by the Discovery Vision concept at the New York Auto Show just over a month ago, the new Discovery family will include a replacement for the current LR4, a smaller version to replace the LR2 Freelander and a three-row, seven-passenger version to bridge the gap between them. But that's not all.

Auto Express, whose reports we tend to take with a grain of salt or two, has it that Land Rover is planning "more than the three models we first anticipated" for the new Discovery family. Just what that fourth or even potential fifth model would entail, we don't know, but Auto Express speculates that something smaller than the Evoque or Freelander could be in the cards. Giving the Discovery range something with a sportier, more rakish roofline along the lines of the Evoque or BMW X4 and X6 could foreseeably be in the cards as well, but at this point we're just spit-balling.

What is certain is that Land Rover will continue to develop new off-road assistance systems to make traversing difficult terrain that much easier. It's working at bringing the Vision concept's Transparent Bonnet system to market, and is reportedly working on an "off road guidance coach" system to offer video and audio instructions on how to get a Land Rover over that next big obstacle as well. 

 

News Source: Auto Express